GRANT Hamerton gave himself an early wedding present on Sunday by bagging a European Tour card.

The Hopwood Cottage-attached professional, who gets married later this month, shot a battling final round 69 to finish ninth in the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Bordeaux.

And that was sufficient to qualify for next year’s main circuit after finishing 13th in the order of merit.

With only the top 15 earning their cards, the Bolton-based player had no margin for error and his winnings of £3,730 were only just enough.

‘‘I feel very relieved,’’ said Hamerton, who lost his card last winter after just one year. ‘‘I’ve gained a lot more experience since then which should help me next season.’’

While there was joy for Hamerton there was despair for Macclesfield’s Jamie Donaldson, who failed to win the order of merit after finishing in a share of 10th place.

He signed for a closing round of 70 as Mark Foster topped the rankings.

‘‘I couldn’t hole a putt and I hit some shocking shots,’’ said Donaldson, who clinched his Tour card some weeks ago and has won more than £130,000 in this his rookie season.

With Chorley’s Nick Dougherty expected to clear the Tour School second stage hurdle in Spain this week, the region could boast its biggest European representation for decades.